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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. current — electric
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. current — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com